Planning a small tour in Scotland

[ska1903]

Hi all,

As the title says i am planning my first tour, 3 days going from Inverness to Dundee (Home).

I am going to get the train from Perth to Inverness, stay the night in the YHA and then do roughly 80 miles a day folowing NCN 1 back to Dundee staying in Hostels along the way.

Obviously with staying in hostels this is going to be close to a credit card tour and i intend to try and go as lightweight as possible. With this is mind i don't plan on using panniers and hoping to use a large saddle bag, something along the lines of the alpkit koala and possible fuel bag as well. I have been looking at large saddlebags but i am finding the price of them to be pretty steep and so looking for a low cost alternative.

Does anyone know where to get a reasonably cheap bag along those lines?

I think i am ok with the kit i am going to require but any tips would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Mark

Oh, and if anyone is interested i can pass on more details of my little tour.

 

[ska1903]

Another think i am not sure about is keeping my energy up during the days...

I will most likely have a good meal at night and breakfast at or near the hostel and stop somewhere for lunch but should i be thinking of supplementing that energy bars or similar for when i am cycling?

 

[stephenjubb]

just eat biscuits every 10 miles, cheap and works for me. 3 or 4 should give 2-300 calories. They have a good combination of fat, sugar and complex carbohydrates. Combined with good meal night before and breakfast and you should be fine.

Have some form of sugar powder as a backup just in case you do get the bonk.

 

[pkeenan]

Flapjacks are good for stowing away and bringing out once every hour and a half or so! Slow release of energy, and quite fulling (momentarily).

 

[ufkacbln]

Hi all,

As the title says i am planning my first tour, 3 days going from Inverness to Dundee (Home).

I am going to get the train from Perth to Inverness, stay the night in the YHA and then do roughly 80 miles a day folowing NCN 1 back to Dundee staying in Hostels along the way.

Obviously with staying in hostels this is going to be close to a credit card tour and i intend to try and go as lightweight as possible. With this is mind i don't plan on using panniers and hoping to use a large saddle bag, something along the lines of the alpkit koala and possible fuel bag as well. I have been looking at large saddlebags but i am finding the price of them to be pretty steep and so looking for a low cost alternative.

Does anyone know where to get a reasonably cheap bag along those lines?

I think i am ok with the kit i am going to require but any tips would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Mark

Oh, and if anyone is interested i can pass on more details of my little tour.

Do you have a rack?

If so the cheaper option is a canoe style "drybag" that can contain your stuff and strap to the rack

I have used an Ortleib one for years on the recumbents where a saddlebag will not fit

 

[ska1903]

I don't have a pannier rack at the moment but it is something i could look at getting. The drybag seems like a pretty good idea if i had a rack.

I have also seen the compression sacks you can get like http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CCPSPCS/pod-spider-compsac that i could possibly bodge a bit to get it to attach to the saddle rails.


Flapjacks sound good, have to get the OH to start baking some to try

 

[mcshroom]

What sort of bike are you riding?

I've just ridden NCN1 from Newcastle to Aberdeen week before last and there are some sections that would be a bit rough on 23mm tyres. Most of the section between Aberdeen and Dundee should be ok if you avoid the off-road section south of Stonehaven, and take it easy on the hardpack around Montrose.

 

[ska1903]

I am getting a Giant TCX SLR2 through C2W and was planning on doing it on that so shouldn't be any worries regarding that.

If not i will do it on an older hardtail MTB so again shouldn't be a problem.